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So, 49ers general manager John Lynch wants a new “upgrade” at backup quarterback. The problem is the 49ers have a heap of expensive free agents to re-sign, and a need at center. The most likely option for the 49ers to secure that upgrade is to draft a rookie.
But knowing San Francisco and how this draft may play out, they may not want to take a quarterback with the 12th overall pick, and their elite options will likely be gone by their 43rd overall pick. So who’s left?
According to NFL Network’s draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, two names pop up: Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond and Stanford’s Davis Mills. Jeremiah explained the two options, who are his sixth and seventh quarterbacks, respectively, on a Tuesday conference call.
Here’s Jeremiah’s breakdown on Mond:
“Kellen Mond is not the thickest guy. He’s 6′ 2.5″, 205 pounds. If you feel like you been watching him at A&M for the last 10 years and you’ve seen some mistakes and some inconsistency as a younger player, I thought he really got better and played well this year culminating with a great Senior Bowl week where he was MVP of the game.
But again, probably just the size would ding him and some of the inconsistencies as a younger player. But I like him, and I think he’s got a quick arm. I think he’s got a live arm. He can create and extend a little bit. Talking to the guys down there at A&M, they said when they would get on the plane after games he would be standing up in the aisle with Jimbo Fisher already watching the tape with him, so he was always dialed in, always around the facility. My grade probably puts him more in the third-round range for that next group with him and Davis Mills.”
“Davis Mills from Stanford is intriguing. He’s had a couple ACLs, but this was the No. 1 quarterback in the country coming out of high school. He can really drive the ball. He’s not as athletic as maybe he would have been without the injuries, but he’s got poise. He’s obviously at Stanford. He’s incredibly intelligent, and I thought you saw him get better throughout the year. He’d be one I’d kind of keep an eye on in the mid rounds, third round, fourth round, somewhere in there.”